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Adventure 8
Briefing Upon return to the capital, Carabath Wildrunner briefs the party on what they have learned in the time that they had been away. Belvin, their lore master, has been doing a lot of research on The Prophecy. They have determined that The Prophecy states The Chosen One will help a group devoted to Dragons (either Guild or Initiate) discover source of Dragon Magic. Upon discovering this source of this power, The Chosen One will wield this power, but to what end they aren't sure. Also, a contact of Carabath has notified him that Lady Blackwell has been hiding in the city of Porthia. Into the Desert and a Book Their mission is to head to Porthia, discover if Lady Blackwell is there, and if she is, capture her alive and bring her back for interrogation. The party gears up for the desert conditions and they start off on the road. The pass through the border town of Nero and head southwest, passing by the western edge of the Vineguard Forest. After almost six days, they turn south on a road that runs parallel to Mothundyr Mountains. They head directly south until they cross from the plains into desert, from Agria to Fulrich, then they reach the city of Porthia. Immediately after arrival, the party loses Reign Buckley and Riffin, who set off on their own mission. Riffin has heard of a book within the city, matching the description of the Draco Mystere. Wanting to deliver on the promise he made to Reign at the beginning of all this, he set up a meeting to buy the book. Carabath even sanctioned this meeting, giving Riffin funds to obtain the book for the Guild. Porthia Jail and a Meeting Immediately after reaching the city of Porthia, they head to the house of Ormund, their contact here in the city. Upon reaching his house, though, a neighbor informs them that he had just been taken into custody by the Agrian Soldiers (the city watch of the city). The party heads to the jail to find out more. When they speak with Ormund, he insists he has been set up. After sending a message to Carabath that Lady Blackwell was in the city, he set about to ask around to find out her exact location. One of the people he asked must not have liked him asking around and framed him for the charges. The party agrees to pay the bail and Ormund is set free. He tells them about information he got right before he was taken into custody. He heard that Orrusk Lammar, a known member of the TSA, and rumoured dealer in poisons, was supposed to be meeting with Lady Blackwell. The reason for the meeting, supposedly, was to provide enough poison to Lady Blackwell to poison the Well of Athanka, the city's water source. Meanwhile, Riffin and Reign head to their meeting. They quickly discover that the book isn't the Draco Mystere, but a book called the Tomb of Dragons. They acquire the book for less money than they anticipated, though, and the book still provides a great deal of information about dragons and dragon magic. Two Ambushes The party heads to the Church of Hygra there in the city to warn the clergy, who watch over the Well of Athanka, that an attempt to poison it might occur. The head priestess, High Priestess Laytha, explains that due to the real nature of the well, that is impossible, but she will accompany the party to observe the meeting to serve as a witness that Lady Blackwell and Orrusk Lammar conspire to hurt the town. Riffin and Reign, meanwhile, are attacked in the streets on their return. A group of hired thugs were sent by someone to obtain the Tomb of Dragons after the meeting took place. They dispatch the thugs, and escape with the book. The rest of the party heads out to the desert, a mile or so outside the city, to wait in ambush for the meeting between Orrusk and Lady Blackwell. As they wait, Orrusk arrives with guards and another group, lead by an unknown merchant. As they sit and listen, they realize that they aren't dealing in poison, but weapons, and Lady Blackwell is nowhere in sight. Before the party can decided what to do, three Dunewinders emerge from the sand, attacking them all. The party is able to dispatch them, the priestess healing them after. They manage to save the merchant and Orrusk and interrogate them. Betrayal They bind them both and bring them into town to face charges for illegal weapons dealing. Orrusk Lammar claims that he was buying weapons to arm all of his men because he was expecting an attack from Tuvrial Johim, another member of the TSA, who may be in league with the thieves' guild in Porthia. Reuniting with Reign and Riffin, they head to Ormund's house to find out what's going on. They discover as they enter town that Theodore Umberton, the most influential member of the TSA, has died under mysterious circumstances. An emergency meeting of the TSA has been called to determine the next course of action. Upon reaching Ormund, he claims he was fed false information and that he wasn't trying to get them killed. The party will accept that if he leads them to the meeting of the TSA. He agrees, as long as he's invisible and the TSA doesn't know that he is the source of the information. Attack of the TSA Ormund, invisible, leads the party to the meeting of TSA, Sarin Rosenthorn holding onto his arm. When they arrive, nothing seems to be happening, but it seems like not all of the members have arrived yet. Once they realize Ormund led him to the right place, they let him go. After they let him go, it sounds like Ormund shuts the doors behind him and locks it. Before they can figure out what that means, the attack comes. A female voice, Lady Blackwell, says they are going to die. She tricks members of the TSA to look up at the ceiling, which has a symbol of death on it. Several men drop. Two Inferno Spiders appear at the exits. Panic sets in and battle begins. The party is able to quickly locate Lady Blackwell within the battle and take her out. They party then focuses their attention on the Inferno Spider, while the remaining merchants and their guards dispatch the other. Aftermath Four of the merchants were killed in the battle, as well as many of the merchants' guards. When the merchants and the party emerge from the meeting, heading out into the city, the eight members of the TSA who helped arranged the attack all turn on Tuvrial Johim, whom they claim is the orchestrater of the attack, along with Ormund, who may or may not be the leader of the thieves' guild. Sarin Rosenthorn secures a place within the ranks of the TSA, splitting the cost of buying up all of Theodore Umberton's business with another TSA member, Helmund. He also secures a cheap house within the city so he technically is a resident, as well as arranging for the clothing merchant, Baldure, to represent him in the meetings of the TSA. Reign Buckley reads the Tomb of Dragons, discovering that their is an organ within all dragons called the Draconis Fundamentum, which is theorized to be the source of the magic within dragons. While the Dragon Initiate may feel that the source of dragon magic is blood, the Guild now has a different lead to research. Interrogation Maxentius Pertinax makes sure that Lady Blackwell is naked, bound, and gagged. Using magic to keep her from escaping, they bring her back up to interrogate her. She doesn't reveal much. She doesn't know the locations of the other members of the Dragon Initiate, except that the red dragon they have in their ranks keeps a lair in the far north. She doesn't know any more about The Prophecy, either, as the monk of the ranks, a man named Umbrose, is the member of the Initiate that knows the most, as he is an "Initiate of the Draconic Mysteries". The party travels back and hands over Lady Blackwell to Carabath. He does a preliminary interrogation, but finds out the same information. He determines that their only solid lead for now is to make their way to the red dragon's lair up north and determine if he still remains there, or if any clues can be found to help fight the Dragon Initiate.